Transcript Highlights:

• Since then, the project budget has increased by approximately $1.25 million.
• “A more transparent and accountable budgeting process.
• that once we pass a budget, that is, in fact, the budget.
• What we found in last year’s budget crisis was that historically the budget was a giant suggestion and
• that mayors, after a budget, could move money around the budget, which led ultimately to the giant fiscal

Summary: The State Bond Commission met on May 21, established a quorum, approved the April 16 minutes, and then considered a long agenda of bond, refunding, and election-related requests. Items 3 through 10 were election propositions for the November 3 ballot involving ad valorem taxes, parcel fees, and charter amendments for purposes such as fire protection, agricultural centers, neighborhood security, recreation, aging services, drainage, and roads and bridges; staff said they met technical and legal requirements, and the commission approved them. The commission also approved several local financings, including water and sewer projects, fire district equipment and facility improvements, school board and parish bonds, and refunding transactions for the East Baton Rouge City-Parish and St. James Parish School Board. A retroactive approval request from the City of Kenner related to a CEA with GMB Basketball LLC was discussed; staff made no recommendation because it was retroactive, but noted it appeared to be an oversight, and item 22, the related airport district agreement, was approved. The commission approved additional financing for the Louisiana Housing Corporation’s Federal City Building 10 affordable housing project, a preliminary approval for the Northwest Louisiana Finance Authority’s Petro Tower redevelopment in Shreveport, and two Louisiana Public Facilities Authority projects: Southern University’s Scott’s Bluff student housing project and the Crescent City Schools project for Harriet Tubman Charter School. During discussion of the Crescent City Schools financing, a commissioner asked about the use of MFP funds; staff explained that lease payments would be the repayment source and that MFP dollars are generally split between educational expenses and facilities costs, with the school’s typical split around 72% instructional and 28% administrative/facilities-related. Both items were approved. The commission then received six cost-of-issuance reports for previously approved bond issues, with various fee adjustments but no motions required. It also reviewed a debt schedule update and adopted Resolution No. 2 authorizing up to $425 million in general obligation refunding bonds to refund Series 2016 bonds and tender other outstanding bonds for savings, with pricing tentatively set for June 16 and closing for June 30. In other business, the commission heard a brief public comment from New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell thanking the commission for helping place a charter amendment on the ballot to improve New Orleans budgeting transparency and oversight. The meeting ended after monthly reports were noted and no further business was raised.

Transcript Highlights:

• We were budgeted for 1,000 FTs in fiscal year 2026. We're running a. Little below that.
• The first is a statewide budget system. Right now, it'd be to automate the statewide budget system.
• But the 19, we're just trying to reconcile to what the budget was.
• Last year, we were budgeted for 1,000, and we're running at less than 1,000.
• Of course, we'll be in touch as the budget process continues.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had from the governor's budget an operating adjustment for $116 million in fiscal year 26-27 and $141
• There are people listening who aren't included in the budget.
• of a challenging budget outlook.
• I know and say this often: the DOC's budget is 97% from the State general fund.
• that budgets are a moral document of what one values.

Transcript Highlights:

• THE HOUSE OFFER ON PRE-K-12 EDUCATION BACK OF THE BILL, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, HEALTHCARE, THE BUDGET
• WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION IN ROW 44 I THE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL JUSTICE COMMITTEE WE ACCEPT YOUR BUDGET
• YOU ARE RECOGNIZED TO EXPLAIN THE OFFER. >> FOR A BUDGET PROVISO ON BACK OF THE BILL ROWS HIGHLIGHTED
• Hooper: THANK YOU BRUCE, REPRESENTATIVE McCLURE THE SENATE HAS OFFERS ON HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGET PROVISO
• CHAIR AND FOR SENATE BUMP OFFER ONE ON HIGHER EDUCATION BUDGET AND PROJECTS THE SPREADSHEETS INCLUDE

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am definitely voting for this budget. I am definitely voting for this budget.
• It's not my budget, it's not Representative Harrison's budget, it's not even Chair Bonham's budget.
• I would suggest this is not a liberal budget. It's not even a conservative budget necessarily.
• What it is is a responsible budget. It's not even a conservative budget necessarily.
• I'm going to vote for this budget because Representative Howard said, a responsible budget for the needs

Summary: The House met in a late-session floor session that began with prayer, pledges, quorum, and a series of excused absences and Senate messages reporting action on numerous bills, conference committee appointments, and conference reports. Members also adopted a memorial resolution honoring Mark James Hanna, a Capitol lobbyist and advocate for nurses, and a congratulatory resolution for Rishi Tarumalasetti, an eighth-grade civics bee winner from Katy. The chamber also received and recorded a parliamentary colloquy about an unusual Senate request on SB 293, with the Chair stating the House could not recede from only part of its amendments and could not suspend the rules because the bill had not been returned from the Senate. The bulk of the session was devoted to taking up conference committee reports and related procedural resolutions, especially the state budget. The House adopted a resolution allowing the SB 1 conferees to go outside the normal bounds, then adopted the SB 1 conference report on a 107-21 vote. Debate on the budget centered on public education funding, tax relief, health care, corrections pay, and judicial compensation, with supporters calling it a responsible compromise and opponents arguing it was overly expansive and insufficient on property tax relief. The House also adopted a technical correction resolution tying judicial pay increases in SB 1 to the House version of SB 293, and members discussed at length the relationship between judicial salaries and legislative pensions. The chamber then adopted a long series of conference reports on measures covering topics such as school library review and book challenges (SB 13), SNAP restrictions on sweetened drinks and candy (SB 379), hospital price transparency (SB 331), nursing home accountability (SB 457), school district personnel compensation conflicts (HB 3372), property notice rules (HB 2011), research and development tax credits (SB 2018), and several other bills affecting elections, permits, education, and criminal justice. Most reports passed by wide margins, though some drew significant opposition, especially SB 13 and SB 379. The House also granted several Senate requests for conference committees and introduced additional resolutions to suspend conferee limits on various bills as the session moved toward adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't know whether you're budget.
• </c> policy work in the budget. policy work in the budget.
• </c> work that should be done in the budget. work that should be done in the budget.
• No, I think there's going to be some language in the budget.
• There may be language in the budget.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, Lois SAA, since you're Budget and Finance. Good afternoon.
• </c><00:21:14.320><c> and</c><00:21:14.480><c> finances</c> that from budget and finances that from budget
• </c><00:29:53.919><c> and</c> have you looked at at uh the budget and have you looked at at uh the budget
• Uh, we have Budget and... I'm sorry about that.
• </c><00:47:16.680><c> and</c> on the conversation with budget and on the conversation with budget and

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 412 HD1, which would expand the definition of lobbying to include certain communications with high-level officials about procurement decisions and create presumptions regarding lobbying on behalf of private clients. The State Ethics Commission and State Procurement Office supported the measure, saying it would improve transparency and align Hawaii with other states, while the Hawaii Primary Care Association opposed it over concerns that employers and others could be swept in too broadly. No public testimony or questions led to any action on the bill during the hearing. The committee then took up House Bill 131, which would allow agencies to disclose government records to researchers for certain research purposes and clarify the Office of Information Practices’ rulemaking authority. OIP and the Public First Law Center supported the bill, arguing it would create uniform standards and that concerns could be handled through rules. The University of Hawaiʻi system, DBEDT, DHS, DLNR, and others raised concerns about the breadth of the terms “research” and “researcher,” privacy, confidential information, and possible misuse; Hawaiian Electric also warned about access to sensitive infrastructure information. Members questioned whether the bill was premature and whether definitions should be narrowed in statute, and OIP said it would consider working with agencies and the University on clearer definitions. House Bill 792 HD1, relating to the Office of the Legislative Analyst, drew no testimony beyond a late written support from the Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and the committee moved on without discussion. The committee then heard House Bill 1424, which would restrict transfers between appropriated funds for positions and operating expenses. Budget and Finance explained that current practice allows transfers from payroll to other current expenses when there are savings, but legislative appropriations for specific purposes must still be spent for that purpose. Several agencies expressed opposition or concerns, saying the bill could reduce flexibility, especially in response to federal funding changes or vacant positions, though members emphasized transparency and accountability. Budget and Finance suggested a reporting approach instead, and the committee discussed quarterly reporting as a possible alternative. Finally, the committee began House Bill 1153 HD1, which concerns funding adjustments for state programs and capital improvement projects and establishes a protocol fund. Budget and Finance, DAGS, and the State Procurement Office supported the measure, while the General Contractors Association and several construction-related groups opposed section two, arguing it would undo recent procurement protest-bond safeguards adopted in Act 162. The hearing then moved on toward House Bill 1297, but the transcript cuts off before that bill was fully discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• uh this change in the default budget uh this change in the default budget<01:51:51.040><c> to</c> budget
• </c> a much lower salary, the default budget a much lower salary, the default budget had<01:53:14.880
• budgets was only 0.3%.
• budget or necessarily always even equal to the previous year's budget.
• , uh, going if there is a budget committee to the budget committee.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:40:04.000><c> appropriation</c> the that was the budget appropriation the that was the budget
• </c><03:03:08.800><c> and</c> to resources to fund School budgets and to resources to fund School budgets
• </c><03:03:19.520><c> in</c> and we have other school budgets in and we have other school budgets in
• </c><03:03:39.640><c> others</c> those have very strong budgets others those have very strong budgets
• Back four years ago, the education... we can increase the budget more when we can increase the budget

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The executive session focused primarily on HB 563, which revises the school funding formula, especially the adequate education grant amounts for special education students and the treatment of fiscal capacity disparity aid. Representative Ladd moved OTPA on Amendment 06508, explaining that FY 26 would largely hold the current formula steady, while FY 27 would increase several per-pupil amounts, including base cost, free and reduced-price meals, English language learner aid, and special education differentiated aid. He said the special education change was based on estimated case loads across disability categories and that the amendment also reinstates fiscal capacity disparity aid, using a formula intended to better assist property-poor communities. Several members supported the amendment as a step in the right direction, saying it better recognizes special education costs and separates property wealth from low-income student counts. Others raised concerns about the lack of time and the absence of a printed spreadsheet showing how the fiscal capacity disparity aid would affect each town. In response, sponsors said the spreadsheet existed, that the LBA had copies, and that the amendment would help about 40 target towns, while Manchester would be the main community receiving less under the new formula because of prior shifts in the extraordinary needs grant. Discussion also covered the broader impact of the bill, with members noting that about 200 of the state’s 245 cities and towns would see an increase and 45 a decrease under the proposed FY 27 changes. Supporters argued the bill was a compromise given limited revenues and that it should move forward so it can be considered by the full House and then Finance. No final vote on the amendment or bill was taken in the portion provided, and the chair indicated the committee was still deciding whether it had enough information to proceed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Effect today on October 1st, the start of the federal budget year.
• There's been some very wise budgeting; this allows us to...
• My budget director, Brian, informed me, Mr.
• Speaker, kind gentlemen, the funds that those universities budgeted, that we budgeted this year with
• And so absolutely, as we go in budget year by budget year, we can innovate and make.

Transcript Highlights:

• But in the same breath, I'm going to say, we do have a budget.
• As someone looking at the budget and worrying about the budget and how we're going to fund these things
• They're going to propose to us a budget, and we look at that budget, and we dispose of that budget.
• Yeah, I don't agree with the statement that our budget is not balanced. Our budget is balanced.
• At this point, Perry County's road budget is only $900,000.

Summary: The committee met to consider a series of appropriation, reserve transfer, and grant requests. Early items included temporary appropriations for the Department of Education’s Educational Freedom Account program ($32 million), the State Crime Lab ($476,000), and DFA Assessment Coordination ($90,000), along with a $1 ARPA return from the Department of Health. The committee approved these items after brief questions, including a discussion about contract cost increases at Assessment Coordination and a clarification that the $1 ARPA item was simply an unused-funds return. The most extensive discussion centered on the Department of Education’s EFA funding. Members questioned the growth in participation, the use of one-time funds and restricted reserves, and safeguards against fraud or improper purchases. Agency officials said about 44,000 students were being funded, that purchases are reviewed and flagged for unusual activity, and that homeschool students are not required to buy a curriculum so long as purchases are eligible and approved. The committee approved the EFA appropriation and related reserve transfer, and officials said the governor’s proposed budget would include the program in the RSA going forward. The committee also approved a DHS reallocation request and reviewed a building authority loan for a data center power supply replacement. In the federal grant section, members discussed a Department of Agriculture request for Central Arkansas Water to acquire land in the Maumelle watershed. Debate focused on the environmental benefits versus local property-tax and development concerns in Perry County, with testimony from the agency, Central Arkansas Water, and Potlatch about watershed protection, public access, and potential development impacts. After extended discussion, the committee adopted a motion to defer the item to the full Legislative Council and asked the department to remove the Perry County portion from the request, limiting the grant-funded purchase to Pulaski County property. The committee then reviewed remaining items, including a Veterans Affairs pay-plan appropriation, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, it's budget day. We're rolling out the Senate version of the budget.
• So the budget before you is in a grand total of $34.7 billion.
• So the budget before you is in a grand total of $34.7 billion.
• We want to make sure that superintendents of schools can do accurate budgeting, or more accurate budgeting
• The funds, as per each county, as for each program, are articulated in the budget.

Summary: The committee first heard the proposed Pre-K-12 education budget for fiscal year 2025-26, totaling $34.7 billion. The chair highlighted major increases for the FEFP, including $29.6 billion for public schools and K-12 scholarships, a $984 million year-over-year increase, along with higher per-FTE funding, $4 billion for the Family Empowerment Scholarship, $431.4 million for VPK, funding for school safety, the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, school hardening, Jewish day school security, and an education enrollment stabilization fund. With no public comment, the committee adopted a motion for staff technical corrections and then approved the budget proposal as a recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The committee then considered SB 1402 on dropout retrieval programs. The bill expands eligibility so any individual who has withdrawn from high school may enroll in dropout retrieval services and clarifies how school grades are calculated for virtual instruction providers that offer those services. An amendment clarifying the grading calculation was adopted, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Next, the committee took up SPB 7030 on educational scholarship programs, a broad measure addressing school choice funding and administration. The bill would fund the Family Empowerment Scholarship as a separate categorical, expand the education stabilization fund, create fall and spring application windows, require a single scholarship application and more documentation, assign student IDs, standardize payment timing to monthly installments, require continued eligibility verification, and add Level 2 background checks for providers receiving state funds. Members raised questions about background-check enforcement, payment timing, data sharing, and the impact on homeschool and private-school families. Public testimony included support from school-choice advocates and concerns from private-school representatives about added regulatory burdens and deadlines. The committee adopted the bill as a committee bill and reported it favorably, with Senator Osgood voting no. Finally, the committee considered SB 508 on the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which requires private schools to disclose in writing what accommodations, modifications, and services they will provide to students with existing plans such as IEPs, EEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans before enrollment. An amendment was adopted to require public schools to consult with private schools about equitable services. Testimony was mixed: supporters said the bill would give parents needed information for informed choice, while private-school representatives said the language could be burdensome and vague. The committee reported the bill favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, I think a budget is a budget.
• Jimmy Coakorse will tell me that is not in the budget.
• But it's what I wanted, but I couldn't do it because it wasn't in the budget.
• But they could not manage their budget. Minus the riders or with the riders?
• But they could not manage their budget. Minus the riders or with the riders?

Bills: SB483, SB522, SB783, SB1239, SB1254, SB1255, SB1259, SB1341, SB1664, SB1762, SB1856, SB1877, SB1977

Keywords: utility, proprietary information, customer data, data protection, electric service, customer information, emergency communication, electric utility, privacy, certification, public accountants, interstate licensing, accounting, regulatory amendment, energy efficiency, construction regulations, building codes, Texas, sustainability, cost-effectiveness

Summary: The Senate Business and Commerce Committee met with a quorum and first took up pending business, voting out several bills. Senate Bills 1697, 1569, 1202 as substituted, 1029, 1364, 1185, 924, 1008 as substituted, 264, 1376, and 1358 as substituted were reported favorably, with some sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted a substitute for SB 1202 and later corrected votes on several measures. SB 924 and SB 1376 drew some opposition, while the rest of the pending bills were reported without dissent or with limited nays. The committee then heard testimony on SB 1856, which would create an annual capacity-cost recovery rider for Entergy Texas customers in the MISO region. The author and Entergy argued the bill would better match rates to actual capacity costs and improve transparency, while the Texas Association of Manufacturers and the Public Utility Commission raised concerns about the short 10-day review period, rider proliferation, and the preference for full rate cases over piecemeal adjustments. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard and left pending SB 522 on CPA reciprocity, SB 1664 requiring TDUs to provide clearer, standalone rate-change disclosures, SB 1877 expanding OPUC’s access to market data, SB 1254 and SB 1255 as TDLR cleanup bills on professional employer organizations and mold assessors, SB 1341 updating manufactured housing rules, SB 1239 on sovereign debt and Texas governing law, and SB 1259 streamlining the surveyor-in-training licensing process. Additional bills discussed included SB 1977, which would cap recoverable legal expenses in electric, water, and sewer rate cases; OPUC and some consumer advocates supported the idea as a way to reduce ratepayer costs, while utility representatives warned it could discourage participation and increase rate shock. The committee also heard SB 1762 clarifying that geothermal energy conservation wells are not battery resources, and SB 783 allowing SECO to proceed with future energy-code rulemaking for state-funded buildings. Both drew supportive testimony from industry and environmental groups. All remaining bills heard during the meeting were left pending, and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:04.200><c> it</c> 10% of our state's education budget it 10% of our state's education budget
• </c> have as we try to put together a budget have as we try to put together a budget that<00:03:39.360
• budgets.
• But if the CFO is making a budget, how many versions of the budget are they now making based on what
• </c> budget how many versions of the budget budget how many versions of the budget are<01:16:05.159><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And what section 3 does is it budget.
• </c> on on the larger Medicaid budget. Yes. on on the larger Medicaid budget. Yes.
• The budget stuff will probably be worked into the budget committee of conference.
• The the budget stuff will effect.
• worked into the budget in probably be worked into the budget in the<01:04:47.599><c> budget</c><01:04

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 118, as amended, which contains several unrelated provisions with a modest fiscal note. Nathan White of the Department of Health and Human Services explained that section 1 would change the personal needs allowance for Medicaid-eligible residents of private and county nursing homes from an adjustment every five years to an annual adjustment, increasing the state cost by about $50,000 per year. He also described section 2, a one-time appropriation of about $160,000 to make certain Hampstead employees whole for missed bonuses and lost leave during the state’s transition of the facility to Dartmouth management. White then outlined sections 3 through 5, which would create a dedicated fund for Hampstead lease revenue to cover the state’s contractual obligation to match Dartmouth capital improvements dollar-for-dollar up to $3 million. He said the state receives about $1.141 million in lease revenue in the first year, with a 3% annual escalator, and that the fund would hold lease revenue until needed for reimbursement. Members questioned how the matching arrangement would work, what happens if Dartmouth spends before the fund has enough money, and whether the state could refuse to match certain improvements. White said Dartmouth has final determination under the agreement if disputes arise, and that if the bill does not pass the state could face difficulty meeting the obligation without cutting services or finding other general funds. Several members also raised policy concerns about the personal needs allowance becoming an automatic cost driver. Brian Clark, attorney for the Bureau of Adult and Aging Services, clarified that current law requires the allowance to be updated at least every five years, but the legislature could change it in an off year if it chose. He also explained that the allowance is money residents retain from their own income, such as Social Security, as part of Medicaid cost-of-care calculations, and that the department does not regulate how residents keep those funds. No vote was taken during the discussion, and the committee paused to correct the bill copy before continuing testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please tell me if I said your name wrong. legislative budget office about the work legislative budget
• </c> the legislative budget office. the legislative budget office.
• </c> to the 2024 tax expenditure budget to the 2024 tax expenditure budget that's<00:06:33.039><c> published
• </c> budget committee. budget committee.
• . budget. budget.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The agency requested a $25,000 increase in its FY 27 operating budget.
• The board is budgeted for 8 FTE and has no vacant positions.
• Operating budget.
• and the budget...
• Commission requested a total budget of $687,000 for FY 27.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not cutting anything from the budget. He already has a budget. We're not cutting here.
• He came in asking for $15 million above his budget.
• Fiscal year 2020 to 2021, 46.3 million dollar budget. 22, 23, 54.9 million dollar budget. 24, 25, 96,
• This is no cut to his budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• While the state government budget is not exactly what we would call sexy, it was a tough budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• . budget. budget.
• I'd just like to also add that making reasonable reductions in the state budget ensures that we have
• Oh, the sooner we can get some agreement, then we know how much more we can add to the budget.
• Um if we more we can add to the budget.
• </c><00:23:31.760><c> and</c> have to go back into the budget and have to go back into the budget and

Bills: HB389, HB469, HB1510, HB1573, HB1705, HB1858, HB1875, HB1946, HB1961, HB1962, HB2001, HB2093, HB2096, HB2097

Keywords: HB389, uncrewed aircraft, drone, drones, UAS, unmanned aerial vehicle, misuse of uncrewed aircraft, criminal offense, felony enhancement, drone crime, public safety, police, deputy sheriff, fire department, intoxicated operation, registration number tampering, property damage, bodily injury, Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Package, Hawaii Revised Statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we currently um have one uh capital project um in the current budget.
• Um, this is a uh considered a reauthorization as it was in the previous budget.
• So uh with in the uh previous budget.
• Um, the was within the budget.
• </c> work with uh the office of state budget work with uh the office of state budget director,<00:14:

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development met without a quorum at first, so it did not approve minutes and instead heard agency capital requests. The Education and Labor Cabinet presented a $6.2 million reauthorization for renovation of the Charles W. McDow Center for the Blind in Louisville, which serves blind and visually impaired individuals through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. The project would update mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. Members asked about the number of students served and the facility’s location; the cabinet said it would follow up on the enrollment figure and explained that prior funding had been redirected to expanded services for people with disabilities and employment needs. The Kentucky Department of Education then presented its request to replace the SEEK system, the state’s primary school funding formula and calculation platform. Officials said the current in-house system dates to about 2008 and is increasingly difficult to maintain, especially as legislative changes require complex recalculations. They explained that a prior vendor contract was terminated after change orders and cost overruns made the project unworkable; the original contract was about $2.8 million, and the proposed change order would have more than doubled that amount. KDE said it is seeking additional funding while also trying to recover the prior vendor’s work product so it can potentially reuse parts of the code and proceed in modules if necessary. Members questioned the cost, the statewide role of SEEK, and whether state staff familiar with the system would be involved in any new procurement. KDE officials said they had already assigned internal staff and a project manager to the earlier RFP process and would do so again. They also noted that SEEK calculations, tax calculations, and attendance data all feed into the system, making it critical for accurate and timely district payments and data requests. The meeting ended with no votes taken, and the chair announced the next meeting would be held the following Tuesday, the 27th, at 10:00 a.m. in the same room.